Crimes of Violence

Media articles today have reopened a discussion on reparations for African Americans as compensation for their economic losses as a result of past oppression. In this blog-essay I support this suggestion with a focus on labor exploitation in the Jim Crow South as opposed to compensation for the sufferings and stolen labor under slavery.

Exciting options are available today for single women, infertile couples, and gay men to have children. The fertility industry is a billion-dollar industry bringing happiness to many, while legal and ethical issues are raised. This article takes a positive approach to these possibilities.

As we ponder the reasons for Philip Seymour Hoffman's death, we need to attribute much of the blame to America's lack of treatment options. Had he had access to legally prescribed heroin, the chances are he'd be alive today.

During Black History Month and Martin Luther King's birthday, let us remember of the important role played by maids, cooks, and housekeepers in accomplishing the first victory of the Civil Rights Movement. Montgomery, Alabama was the place; 1955 the year.

How could this happen in the country that is number one on the UN human development index? How could this happen at all? This article looks at the massacre in Norway in terms of the culture and context.

There is growing evidence that the increase in murder-suicides and especially of whole family murder-suicides are related to the current economic crisis. This essay examines the evidence of an iincrease and explains how psychological factors come into play in bringing about such horrific acts.

The sexual crimes committed against children and adolescents by Catholic priest has figured prominently in the media over the past decade, and rocked the Catholic Church the world over. The “sins of the fathers” have been more than matched by the sins of the church hierarchy which showed more concern for the protection of the abusive priests than for the prevention of future violations or for the suffering caused to the victims. Whereas the media focus has been largely on the scandal of the cover up, on the behavior of individual priests, and on Pope Benedict’s complicity in reassigning fallen priests, a concern that is rarely addressed is the psychological impact on the victims of these violations. The psychological impact varies by gender.

Workplace shootings by women are extremely rare and, until now, seemingly non existent. Two unique factors are prominent in the situation that led to the University of Alabama-Huntsville mass slaughter. The first is the unique history of violent rage reportedly in the background of the assailant. The second is the structural violence that sometimes accrues to the university tenure process. The author who herself once experienced tenure denial helps us understand how these two factors came together to produce a situation of grief and horror.

Why did he do it? Whatever possessed him? There are more questions than answers as to why Major Nidal Malik Hasan walked into a crowded soldier-readiness center at Fort Hood and opened fire on the soldiers.

Jaycee Dugard will make a surprisingly positive adjustment to life after her 18 years of living as a kidnapped victim. Other predictions in the media have been dire. Since information is scarce and only time will tell, these predictions are all speculative. Here I simply want to look at some others of these strange cases.